Ore-separator.



A. M. PLUMB. ORE SEPARATOR. APPLICATION HLED JUNE 30,1913.

Patented Oct. '24, 1916.

m 8 E m W INVENTOR Albert M.P1umb,

ALBERT M. PLUMB, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. '24, 191

Application filed June 30, 1913. Serial No. 776,529. 1

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ALBERT M. PLUMB, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica,

residing at the city of Denver, State of Colorado, have invented acertain new and useful Ore-Separator, of which the following is such afull, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ore separators of thecharacter described in my Patent No. 1,079,362, issued November 25,1913.

I have found that in separating certain classes of material, theproduction of a slightly more violent agitation of the particlesadjacent to the tailings discharge opening than in other portions of thecolumn to which the material is fed lessens the liability of anyparticles of concentrates being carried with the tailings from the pointof feed to the tailings discharge opening before they have found theirway to a point below the level of this opening. It is to this discoveryand means for utilizing it that this application is more particularlydirected.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in'thefollowing more detailed description.

In the drawings accompanying this application and forming a partthereof, Figure 1 is a front view of the separator, partly in elevationand partly in section, and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section.

The separating chamber comprises side and end walls 1, the oresupporting screen 2, and the baffle plate or partition 10 inclined atits upper edge.

3 designates the walls of the air chamber beneath the separatingchamber, and 4, screen supporting members extending across the upperportion of the air chamber.

v 5 is a tapering air nozzle communicating with the air chamber. bymeans of a narrow slot 6 extending throughout the entire length of saidchamber; The separating chamber is provided with a concentrate dischargeopening 7 and a tailings discharge opening 8.

11 are guide plates extending acrossthe bottom of the separatingchamber. 7

The material to be separated is placed material to the separatingchamber.

in a container 12 which is provided withdischarge spouts 16 whichterminate in a .plane substantially parallel with the inclined portionof the partition 10. The con tainer 12 is slidingly mounted on theseparating chamber and its position may be shifted by means of thethreaded shafts 17 operated by the hand wheels 9 to vary the distancebetween the ends of the discharge spouts 16 and the inclined face of thepartition '10 to regulate the rate of feedTfif e whole separator issupported by a frame 13, as shown, preferably in such position that thescreen 2 will be level.

14 represents one of the cap screws by, means of which the separator maybe at-- this tilting being to cause the material in the column whichreceives the feed to assume aposition in which it will be slightlydeeper and consequently heavier in the space adjacent to the partition10 than near the tailings discharge opening 8. This difference in depthmustbe very slight,'being only sufiicient to cause a slightly greatervolume of air to pass through theportion of material near the tailingsdischarge opening but, at the same time, not permit so 4 much air topass through as to prevent proper agitation of the remaining material inthe separating chamber.

In the operation of the apparatus, ma-

terial to be separated is supplied, to the por- .tion of the separatingchamber betweenthe partition 10 and the discharge opening 8,

and intermittent impulses of air are sup plied through the air chamberimparting an up and down or jigging motion to the particles. As a.result of. this action, the ore particles having a greater specificgravitv than the particles of tailings will gradually displace thelatter particles with the result that immediately above the screen alayer of material will beformed consisting only of ore particles, orconcentrates, and at the top of the bed, a layer will be formedconsisting only of tailings. Between these two layers will be a mixtureconsisting of particles of tailings and ore particles. If additionalmaterial is supplied to the separating chamber, the ore particles inthis material will find their way downward with the result that otherore particles'will be forced under the partition 10 thus raising thesurfaceof the concentrate column and causing concentrates to bedischarged at the opening 7 The added tailings will also cause the uppersurface of the tailings columnto rise high enough to overflow at thedischarge opening 8.

It will be noted that the discharge open-' ing 8 is somewhat higher thanthe concentrates opening 7, but, on account of the difference in thequality of material in the lateral motion, thus making it impossible forany material of this character to be discharged. 7

The inclination of the ore supporting screen, for the purposehereinabove described, "isso slight thatthe general principles ofoperation of the apparatus are the same as in the apparatus described inmy previous application hereinbefore referred-to.

In the operation of the apparatus some very fine particles of ore findtheir way through the supporting screen and drop down to the bottom ofthe air distributing nozzle and, in order to remove these particles andto prevent their interference with the ingress of air, I connect the airsupply pipe 18 to a T-joint 19, as shown, and .pro vide a plug 20 havingan opening which is sufiic'ientlysmall to.allow these ore particles toescapebut not to substantially interfere with the production of theproper air pressure in theair chambers.

' Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an ore jig, a separating chamber provided with .means formaintaining at least two separate columns of material communicating attheir lower ends and with discharge openings foreach column, therelative heights of the discharge openings being such that the weightsof the columns of material, when each extends to the level of itsdischarge opening, will be substantially proportionalzto theirhorizontal crosssectional areas, means for agitating the material in theseparating chamber and means communicating at a point near said bottomand with discharge openings for each column, a portion of said bottomunder one of said columns being slightly higher in proximity to thetailings discharge than the remainder and said discharge openings beingso positioned that the weights of any two columns of material when eachextends to the level of its discharge opening will be substantiallyproportional to their horizontal cross sectional areas, and means forapplying intermittent impulses of a fluid to the entire bottom of theseparating chamber.

3. In an ore separator, a separating chamber having a reticulated bottomand provided with means for maintaining at least two columns of materialthereon communieating at a point near said bottom and with dischargeopenings for each column, said discharge openings being so positionedthat the weights of any two columns of material when each extends to thelevel of its discharge opening will be substantially proportionaltotheir horizontal cross sectional areas, means for varying the relativeheight of portions of the bottom of the separating chamber adapted tolessen the depth in proximity to the tailings discharge and means forapplying intermittent impulses of air to the bottom of the separatingchamber.

4:. An ore separator, having a separating chamber provided with meansfor maintaining at least two separate columns of material communicatingat their lower ends and with discharge openings for each column, saiddischarge openings being so positioned that the weights of any twocolumns of material when each extends to the level of its dischargeopening will be substantially proportional .to their horizontal crosssectional areas, a support for the separator, and means for tilting theseparator on its support to vary the depth of the portion of one columnadjacent to the tailings discharge opening.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal inthe presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT M. PLUMB.

6.091s: of thls p atent may be .obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of I'atents.

Washington, D. 0.

